Who is in Charge Here??

Who is in Charge Here?

Who is in charge, do you stop and think about it? Living today in our world, it is very easy to lose sight of the fact that, as Christians, we do not call the shots. Our decisions are to be based solely on God’s will and that alone. How do we know what God’s will is? Most of the time we can find out in His Word. Other times we can ask ourselves, “Is this going to bring me and others closer to God?” If you have been walking with God very long, and have grown in your relationship with Him, you know His character well enough to know when something is not in keeping with His character and therefore, His glory.

Old Testament Prophets

Jeremiah was a prophet of God. He lived in Old Testament times. Presently, in certain denominations, you hear of visiting “prophets” who are coming to preach/speak. In my experience with “prophets” of today, they quite different from the Old Testament prophets. In the Old Testament, prophets were given the word of the LORD directly from Him, usually to correct the people of God or even announce that God’s judgment was imminent. I wanted to set up a little context with verses 1 and 2. Today we will look closely at verses 3 and 4, then tomorrow we will look at verses 5 and 6.

Jeremiah 18:1-6 (focusing on verses 3&4 today)

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear My words.” So I went down to the potter’s house and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.

Then the word of the LORD came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done?” declares the LORD. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.”

Our single purpose for living is to bring glory to God with our lives. We can only do that as He makes us useful vessels for His glory. No matter how hard we try – we cannot do this ourselves. Only God, the Potter, can make us into vessels for His glory.

Let’s go to the Verses:

“So I went down to the potter’s house, and saw him working at his wheel.”

The wheel and the potter’s hands are the circumstances that form the clay into a vessel. Without them, a lump of clay remains just that, a lump of clay – not fillable or useful.

“And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand… “

How the clay responds to its circumstances determines how effective the circumstances are at forming a useful vessel. If the clay is pliable and moldable under the pressure of the potter’s hands working along with the turning of the wheel, then the potter will be able to very quickly get the vessel into the shape he wants. If the clay is stiff, hard and/or resistant to the work of the potter then the potter may find the clay to be marred in his hands. In this case, he will have to start over with the vessel by pounding it back into a smooth lump.

“…and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.”

Pliable and Moldable

Just like the clay in the potter’s hands, we are in God’s hands. He knows what He wants us to be and He allows and even uses circumstances in our lives to mold us and shape us into vessels for His glory.

Hard times are going to come in the life of every person – Christian or non-Christian. As Christians, people who have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and have surrendered our lives to Him, we are not immune to difficulty, in fact, we are promised it will come. (James 1:2-4) It comes for a reason!

When those times come, there are a couple of ways God has shown me to help me be pliable and moldable in His hands:

Stay in God’s Word! Do not let trouble keep you from God’s Word. Then is when you need His strength the most.

Pray. My basic prayer during trouble is something like this:

“Lord, help me to know You better so I can trust You more. Please help me learn what it is You are teaching me here. Help me not to resist as You make me what You want me to be. Make me all Yours, Lord.”

Let’s go to the Lord in Prayer:

Thank You so much, Lord, for putting things in terms we can understand. Help us to cooperate with You as You mold us and make us what You want us to be. Let us be pliable and moldable in His hands. May we bring You great pleasure as You forms us into the image of Christ, ready at You touch to be a vessel for You to fill with Your glory. Help us to know You better and better through Your Word and help us to seek You in every single step we take. Help us to make every step toward You. Be glorified in us! In Jesus beautiful name. Amen.

About Dell

Hi! Welcome to Tapestry! I am Dell Scruggs and I am a Christian. I have a deep passion for God and His Word. I also have a deep passion to grow and see others grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. Quilting and watercolor are my favorite things to do in my spare time. I have an incredible husband, two amazing sons, two wonderful daughters-in-law and an absolutely adorable granddaughter!